Anime Lectio: Komi Can't Communicate Seasons One and Two

                                                            1. Why do Anime Lectio? 

Anime Lectio is a time for us to stop and take a breath. Between work, activities, family life, and social media, our minds are always moving. We rarely take time to contemplate and ask, why am I watching this anime? What’s the point of all this? And, how is this making me feel? 

2. Put away all distractions 

(phones, work, etc.)

We are so enslaved to things that stimulate our minds. Let this be a moment for us to free our minds, look inside of ourselves, and be at peace.

3. Deep Breathing

Take several deep breaths. Let your mind relax. If you’ve had any questions, desires, or struggles that you’ve been hiding or stuffing away, let them rise up to the surface. 

4. Open yourself to God’s Presence

Remember God places all our thoughts and desires inside of us, and He uses them to draw us closer to Himself. God gives us a community to help us understand who we are and what He is calling us to do. The faces of other people you know and don't know are like signs of God’s presence.  

5. Think About What’s on Your Mind in Relation to the Anime

Think about what’s been on your mind in relation to the anime.  The following is an example of such thoughts written by me.

The majority of communication is non-verbal as opposed to verbal. I don't remember how much of communication is non-verbal and how much is verbal, but I do know that communication is mostly non-verbal. I personally prefer non-verbal communication to verbal communication, especially the non-verbal form of communication of writing (body language is another example), but I do realize that verbal communication is as important as non-verbal communication. I think both are equally important, like talking with someone verbally, but also paying attention to their body language in order to help the verbal conversation.

6. Brief and written explanation of the anime

Pay attention to how the brief and written explanation of the anime seen on this blog, or seeing the anime for yourself since that's better than any explanation, might “speak” to you or shed light on the things that have been on your minds.

Komi Can't Communicate is an anime series where the main character has a communication disorder. A communication disorder means that the person with it has difficulty talking to and with others because they are too nervous to/can't do that, not because they have nothing to say, which is a usual reminder as the anime progresses. Despite this communication disorder, this main character has a goal to make 100 friends. The first friend this main character makes is one of her male classmates who happens to hear her talking to herself, which is something she does sometimes. This male classmate decides to help her after getting to know her and looking past her outward attractiveness, which is why her other classmates, as well as other people she interacts with, are interested in her. The anime is mostly about these interactions.

7. Reflect on the anime

Has this brief and written explanation of the anime, or seeing the anime, shed any light on what's been on your mind? The following is an example of a reflection on the anime from me.

Komi Can't Communicate is an anime series I was hearing a lot about before I started to see it. It was definitely worth the wait as it's a series that really interests me due to its social commentary. Besides questioning the title of this anime since Komi, the main character, can communicate, but has difficulty with it due to a communication disorder, what I noticed a lot in the anime is that people mostly care about what you look like and not what you say. Most of the friends that the main character makes do things for and/or with her because of her outer beauty. The first friend that the main character makes sees her for her inner beauty, not just outer beauty, and actually tries to help her in a way that's actually helpful. Most of the main character's friends don't do this, meaning they help the main character by also helping themselves and/or doing what they think is best for others and/or themselves. It's also interesting to see that the main character likes the first friend she makes the most. This first friend is more than just a friend too. Hopefully, the second season of this anime, which is supposed to come out in the Spring of this year, develops this friendship, as well as the others, more.

8. Final Prayer

Please voice any prayer intentions for friends, family, or people around the world that relate to this anime. The following is an example written by me.

Let us pray that we can understand what a communication disorder is, what it means to be able, or not be able, to communicate, and to see others for their inner beauty and not just their outer beauty.